Located on the western edge of Funchal, this project is part of the ongoing expansion of the Foundation Cecília Zino foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting children and families in vulnerable contexts.

The site is a cultivated remnant within a transforming landscape. Once shaped by terraced agriculture, banana groves, vineyards, cereals fealds, fed by the Levada dos Piornais, the area is now increasingly urbanized. Yet the Foundation’s land remains an exception, maintaining a productive and rural character.

The landscape architecture project, developed by our atelier, is integrated with the architectural design by Marcelo Dantas Arquitectura to accommodate a new welcome center for children.

The intervention reconfigures the terraced topography as an active structure. Through excavation and infill, a new sequence of plateaus is shaped to support both circulation and use. From the public entrance to playgrounds and gardens connected to the classrooms, each level corresponds to different parts of the programme.

The design relies on simple and robust materials rooted in local construction practices. Basalt walls, exposed concrete, dry meadows and irrigated lawns give structure to the space. Soil, water and vegetation are treated as a fundamental architectural elements that define use, climate and atmosphere.

By articulating terrain, architecture and ecology, the project creates a cohesive environment where pedagogical, social and ecological values converge. The result is a place designed for children, grounded in memory, shaped by the landscape and open to the future.